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Sunday, 13 May 2012

DVD/Blu-ray New Releases 14.05.12

Okay, so it’s a better week than the past few but it’s still
far from good. We’ll be looking at four films. Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows, Underworld: Awakening, Shame
and The Sitter. We’ll start with Guy
Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes sequel in which Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law reprise
the roles of Holmes and Watson respectively. Now, I didn’t like the first one,
I found it preposterous and tedious and I couldn’t get into the banter between
the two leads, which I believe was meant to be the main selling point.

This sequel is effectively more of the same, except more
expensive. It really is a simple case of if you liked the first one you’ll like
this… if you enjoy watching the same film just slightly repackaged with a different
name. The same can be said of Underworld: Awakening, it’s the best Underworld
film since the 2003 original, that’s a little like saying that this excrement
is the best I’ve tasted in years though. Kate Beckinsale, who returns to the
franchise after wisely missing out on the third instalment, plays sexy vampire
Selene who’s awoken from her cryogenic slumber by her daughter Eve.

We’re treated to an hour and a half of a fairly run of the
mill action shoot-em-up, I don’t think it’s worth parting with your hard-earned
pennies for but it’s not the worst film I’ve seen by any stretch either. The
pace is okay and if you’re not too demanding with your action films then you
should be okay. So, let’s move on to The Sitter, in which a reluctant
babysitter, Jonah Hill, tackles an evening with three delinquent children and
hilarity ensues… except it doesn’t. Hill’s better than this vulgar nonsense, I
was actually embarrassed for him and everyone else involved at points in this
but felt sorrier for no one than myself for having to watch it. Check out 80’s
comedy Adventures in Babysitting instead, it’s charming and family friendly and
stars Elisabeth Shue.

Which means our DVD of the week is Shame. Steve McQueen’s
drama about sex addiction starring Michael Fassbender and Carey
Mulligan was an awards magnet but an uneasy watch. The leads are tremendous in
challenging roles but I found it just too uncomfortable and oppressive to be
particularly enjoyable. It’s still comfortably the best film out this week and
whilst I wouldn’t want to watch it too often, much like Tyrannosaur or
Snowtown, it really does feel like you’ve actually spent your time well when
you’ve finished it. If you want to see what Ashley and Steve made of Sherlock
Holmes: A Game of Shadows click this link.